Adaptive Potential Of Species Research Articles

Genetic Diversity and Evolutionary Biology of Indian Wildlife- A Review

The genetic diversity and evolutionary biology of Indian wildlife, emphasizing the critical role of genetic variability in ensuring species adaptability and long-term survival. India is one of the world’s megadiverse countries, home to a wide range of unique flora and fauna spread across its biodiversity hotspots, including the Western Ghats and the Eastern Himalayas. However, rapid habitat fragmentation, deforestation, and poaching have severely impacted the genetic health of many wildlife species, leading to reduced gene flow, population bottlenecks, and increased inbreeding. This has heightened the risk of extinction for small, isolated populations such as the Asiatic lion and the Great Indian bustard. Genetic studies using advanced genomic tools have provided key insights into the population structure, phylogenetic relationships, and adaptive potential of species like the Bengal tiger, Asian elephant, and snow leopard. Conservation strategies, including genetic rescue, habitat corridors, and the use of captive breeding programs, are recommended to preserve genetic diversity and prevent further genetic erosion. Technological advances, such as non-invasive sampling and bioinformatics, are transforming wildlife research, enabling more precise and less intrusive genetic monitoring. The integration of genetic data into conservation policies and practices is essential for developing targeted management plans that maintain the evolutionary potential of Indian wildlife.

Short-time salinity fluctuations are strong activators of oxidative stress in Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis)

Salinity stress is an emerging key factor affecting aquatic animals in coastal waters. In bivalves, physiological responses to anisosmotic conditions are frequently associated with excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, lipid peroxidation processes and alterations of the antioxidant enzyme activity in tissues. In this study, we investigated whether short-time exposure to high (20-40 ‰) or low (6-14 ‰) salinity induces oxidative stress in hemocytes and gills of Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis). Our findings showed that both hypoosmotic and hyperosmotic stress enhanced formation of ROS in hemocytes, which was accompanied by an increase in DNA damage. Experimental acclimation to low salinity (6‰, 10 ‰) led to a decrease of the activity of superoxide dismutase but did not affect catalase activity in gills. Exposure to high salinity (24 ‰) inhibited activities of both antioxidant enzymes, whereas at 30 ‰ activity of both enzymes recovered up to controls. We found that exposure to high salinity was associated with lower risks of oxidative stress in mussels, and changes in redox balance are observed in hemocytes and gills even if the range of salinity changes is in range of species adaptive potential. Taken together, this study suggests that short-time salinity fluctuations promote oxidative stress in bivalves.

Comparative anatomical structure of the leaf <i>Rhododendron catawbiense</i> Michx. and <i>Rhododendron brachycarpum</i> D. Don, growing under conditions of N.V. Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences

The paper deals with anatomical parameters of the leaf of two genus representatives Rhododendron L.: R. catawbiense Michx. and R. brachycarpum D. Don, cultivated under conditions of N.V. Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The morpho-anatomical structure of the leaf, used in the diagnosis and taxonomy of species, is also a key indicator of its functional characteristics. It is no less important for studying the mechanisms of their adaptation during introduction into new growing conditions and allows to find ways to optimize the conditions of their life and cultivation. Introduction experience is a prerequisite for studying the adaptive potential of species and for developing methods for managing the growth and development of these plants. The paper provides a detailed ecological and geographical characteristics of natural growth areas of R. catawbiense (eastern part of North America), R. brachycarpum (Far East, Republic of Korea, Japan) and the introduction area of Moscow (North-Eastern Administrative District, N.V. Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences). In this work, for the first time, a detailed anatomical and morphological analysis of the leaf structure of two genus representatives Rhododendron: R. catawbiense and R. brachycarpum was carried out, and diagnostic signs of changes in the parameters of the structure of leaves, formed in conditions different from the natural habitats of species, were revealed during their introduction into N.V. Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The future is now: marine aquaculture in the anthropocene

Abstract Aquaculture now produces more seafood than wild capture fisheries and this production is expected to at least double by 2050. Representing almost half of global production, marine aquaculture will contribute to sustainably feeding the growing humanity. However, climate change will undoubtedly challenge the future growth of marine aquaculture. Temperature and sea-level rise, shifts in precipitation, freshening from glacier melt, changing ocean productivity, and circulation patterns, increasing occurrence of extreme climatic events, eutrophication, and ocean acidification are all stressors that will influence marine aquaculture. The objective of this themed article set was to bring together contributions on the broad theme of the potential impacts, adaptation, and mitigation strategies of marine aquaculture to climate change. Here we present 14 papers covering a diverse set of approaches including experimentation, modelling, meta-analysis and review, and disciplines like biology, ecology, economics, and engineering. These articles focus on the impacts of climate change-related stressors on the aquaculture potential itself and on the resulting ecological interactions (e.g. parasitism and predation), on phenotypic plasticity and adaptation potential of species, and on measures to mitigate the effects of climate change on aquaculture and vice versa. Considering this, adaptation of the aquaculture sector relies on anticipating the biogeographical changes in the distribution of species, determining their potential for adaptation and selective breeding for resistance or tolerance to climate-induced stressors, and fostering ecosystem resilience by means of conservation, restoration, or remediation. By will or by force, aquaculture will contribute to the low carbon economy of tomorrow. Aquaculture must move towards a new paradigm where the carbon footprint and the analysis of the life cycle of products are at least as important as economic profitability.

Genetic variability and connectivity of the Mexican long-nosed bat between two distant roosts

AbstractGenetic variability generally is associated with adaptive potential of species and can be assessed using microsatellite markers. Mexican long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris nivalis) are endangered, migratory nectarivores thought to be experiencing population declines. Despite historical and current tracking efforts, migratory connections among roost sites remain elusive. Our objective was to assess the genetic variability and connectivity of two of the most geographically separated populations of L. nivalis currently known—a mating roost in central Mexico used from September to March, and a maternity roost in western Texas used by adult females and their young from June to August. Twelve loci developed for L. yerbabuenae and four for Glossophaga soricina amplified L. nivalis DNA; of those 16 loci, seven (all from L. yerbabuenae) were useful in genetic analyses of 113 individuals. High levels of genetic variation in L. nivalis from the two sites were not significantly different and no substructure was detected between these two roost sites separated by more than 1,200 km. Further, we recovered evidence of close relationship (parent–offspring) in nine pairs of juveniles captured at the northern roost and adults from the southern roost, confirming a connection between the two locations. For this endangered species, the level of variation detected, the lack of a recent bottleneck, and estimates of effective population size, are encouraging for future recovery. Management plans aimed at conserving Mexican long-nosed bats should recognize the need for managing these bats as a single population and conserving foraging and roosting habitat along migratory routes to reduce population fragmentation.

Landscape genetics reveals that adaptive genetic divergence in Pinus bungeana (Pinaceae) is driven by environmental variables relating to ecological habitats

BackgroundUnderstanding the genetic basis of local adaptation has long been the concern of biologists. Identifying these adaptive genetic variabilities is crucial not only to improve our knowledge of the genetic mechanism of local adaptation but also to explore the adaptation potential of species.ResultsUsing 10 natural populations and 12 start codon targeted (SCoT) markers, a total of 430 unambiguous loci were yielded. The Bayesian analysis of population structure clearly demonstrated that the 10 populations of P. bungeana could be subdivided into three groups. Redundancy analysis showed that this genetic divergence was caused by divergence selection from environmental variables related to the ecological habitats of “avoidance of flooding” and “avoidance of high temperature and humidity.” LFMM results indicated that Bio1, Bio5, Bio8, Bio12, Bio14, and Bio16, which are related to the ecological habitat of P. bungeana, were correlated with the highest numbers of environment-associated loci (EAL).ConclusionsThe results of EAL characterization in P. bungeana clearly supported the hypothesis that environmental variations related to the ecological habitat of species are the key drivers of species adaptive divergence. Moreover, a method to calculate the species landscape adaptation index and quantify the adaptation potential of species was proposed and verified using ecological niche modeling. This model could estimate climatically suitable areas of species spatial distribution. Taking the results together, this study improves the current understanding on the genetic basis of local adaptation.

Making the connection: expanding the role of restoration genetics in restoring and evaluating connectivity

The success of restoration activities is affected by connectivity with the surrounding landscape. From a genetic perspective, landscape connectivity can influence gene flow, effective size, and genetic diversity of populations, which in turn have impacts on the fitness and adaptive potential of species in restored areas. Researchers and practitioners are increasingly using genetic data to incorporate elements of connectivity into restoration planning and evaluation. We show that genetic studies of connectivity can improve restoration planning in three main ways. First, by comparing genetic estimates of contemporary and historical gene flow and population size, practitioners can establish historical baselines that may provide targets for restoration of connectivity. Second, empirical estimates of dispersal, landscape resistance to movement, and adaptive genetic variance can be derived from genetic data and used to parameterize existing restoration planning tools. Finally, restoration actions can also be targeted to remove barriers to gene flow or mitigate pinch‐points in corridors. We also discuss appropriate methods for evaluating the restoration of gene flow over timescales required by practitioners. Collaboration between restoration geneticists, ecologists, and practitioners is needed to develop practical and innovative ways to further incorporate connectivity into restoration practice.

Morphological and ecological preadaptations as the basis of bird synanthropization under transformed environment conditions

Bird synanthropization is connected with a thorough and serious reconstruction of their biology and is a demonstration of changes currently occurring in the biosphere due to human influence. Nutritional and nesting conditions as well as protection due to urban characteristics are advantage factors that affect their populations. Under these conditions, the adaptive potential of species can be realized. Adaptations to a new and in-distinctive environment appear due to preadaptations. The synanthropization process of species happens without speciation by expression of existing genetic variation of morphological and ecological characteristics.

Severe consequences of habitat fragmentation on genetic diversity of an endangered Australian freshwater fish: A call for assisted gene flow.

Genetic diversity underpins the ability of populations to persist and adapt to environmental changes. Substantial empirical data show that genetic diversity rapidly deteriorates in small and isolated populations due to genetic drift, leading to reduction in adaptive potential and fitness and increase in inbreeding. Assisted gene flow (e.g. via translocations) can reverse these trends, but lack of data on fitness loss and fear of impairing population “uniqueness” often prevents managers from acting. Here, we use population genetic and riverscape genetic analyses and simulations to explore the consequences of extensive habitat loss and fragmentation on population genetic diversity and future population trajectories of an endangered Australian freshwater fish, Macquarie perch Macquaria australasica. Using guidelines to assess the risk of outbreeding depression under admixture, we develop recommendations for population management, identify populations requiring genetic rescue and/or genetic restoration and potential donor sources. We found that most remaining populations of Macquarie perch have low genetic diversity, and effective population sizes below the threshold required to retain adaptive potential. Our simulations showed that under management inaction, smaller populations of Macquarie perch will face inbreeding depression within a few decades, but regular small‐scale translocations will rapidly rescue populations from inbreeding depression and increase adaptive potential through genetic restoration. Despite the lack of data on fitness loss, based on our genetic data for Macquarie perch populations, simulations and empirical results from other systems, we recommend regular and frequent translocations among remnant populations within catchments. These translocations will emulate the effect of historical gene flow and improve population persistence through decrease in demographic and genetic stochasticity. Increasing population genetic connectivity within each catchment will help to maintain large effective population sizes and maximize species adaptive potential. The approach proposed here could be readily applicable to genetic management of other threatened species to improve their adaptive potential.

Does the legacy of historical biogeography shape current invasiveness in pines?

Why are some introduced species more successful at establishing and spreading than others? Until now, characteristics of extant species have been intensively investigated to answer this question. We propose to gain new insights on species invasiveness by exploring the long-term biogeographic and evolutionary history of lineages. We exemplify our approach using one of the best-studied invasive plant genera, Pinus. We notably estimated the historical biogeography of pines and the rates of trait evolution in pines. These estimates were analysed with regard to species invasiveness status. The results revealed that currently invasive species belong to lineages that were particularly successful at colonizing new regions in the past. We also showed that highly mobile lineages had faster rates of niche evolution, but that these rates are poor proxies for species adaptive potential in invaded regions (estimated by niche shift among native and invaded regions). In summary, working at the interface of ecology, historical biogeography and evolutionary history offers stimulating perspectives to improve our understanding of the drivers of invasion success.

Environmental harshness shapes life-history variation in an Australian temporary pool breeding frog: a skeletochronological approach.

For many amphibians, high temperatures and limited precipitation are crucial habitat characteristics that limit species ranges and modulate life-history characteristics. Although knowledge of the ability of amphibians to cope with such environmental harshness is particularly relevant in the light of ongoing environmental change, relatively little is known about natural variation in age, maturation and associated life-history traits across species' ranges. We used the analysis of growth rings in bones to investigate the link between environmental harshness and life-history traits, including age and body size distribution, in specimens from 20 populations of the Australian bleating froglet, Crinia pseudinsignifera. Despite the short lifespan of the species, bone slides revealed geographic variation in average age, body size and reproductive investment linked to variation in temperature and rainfall. We found no difference in age at maturation in different climatic harshness regimes. Frogs from harsher environments invested less in their first reproductive event but grew older than their counterparts in more benign environments, thereby allowing for more reproductive events and buffering them against the increased chance of reproductive failure in the harsher environments. For individual frogs, climatic harshness experienced during an individual's life promoted larger body size. Overall, these results illustrate how bone structure analyses from preserved specimens allow both the testing of ecogeographic hypotheses and the assessment of the adaptive potential of species in the light of environmental change.

Limited genetic variability and phenotypic plasticity detected for cavitation resistance in a Mediterranean pine

Resistance to cavitation is a major determinant of plant survival under severe drought and can be used to quantify species adaptive potential. Interspecific variation in this key trait is well defined in woody species, but intraspecific variation (level and structure) resulting from standing genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity has never been determined. Combining for the first time in situ characterization of natural populations and two reciprocal common gardens in dry and wet sites, we estimated variance components (phenotypic, genetic, environmental, and genetic×environmental) of cavitation resistance based on 513 genotypes of a Mediterranean pine, Pinus pinaster. Despite the selected populations being climatically contrasted, phenotypic plasticity in resistance to cavitation remained low and was essentially attributed to family level. Between-population variation in cavitation resistance for both phenotypic and genetic variation was limited. These results strongly suggest that cavitation resistance is buffered against genetic and to a lesser extent environmental variation (canalization) in maritime pine. Consequently, in a drier world, the increasing drought tolerance of Pinus species might be severely constrained by the low level of cavitation resistance variation, resulting in a large-scale loss of productivity.

Climate Change, Habitat Loss, Protected Areas and the Climate Adaptation Potential of Species in Mediterranean Ecosystems Worldwide

Mediterranean climate is found on five continents and supports five global biodiversity hotspots. Based on combined downscaled results from 23 atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs) for three emissions scenarios, we determined the projected spatial shifts in the mediterranean climate extent (MCE) over the next century. Although most AOGCMs project a moderate expansion in the global MCE, regional impacts are large and uneven. The median AOGCM simulation output for the three emissions scenarios project the MCE at the end of the 21st century in Chile will range from 129–153% of its current size, while in Australia, it will contract to only 77–49% of its current size losing an area equivalent to over twice the size of Portugal. Only 4% of the land area within the current MCE worldwide is in protected status (compared to a global average of 12% for all biome types), and, depending on the emissions scenario, only 50–60% of these protected areas are likely to be in the future MCE. To exacerbate the climate impact, nearly one third (29–31%) of the land where the MCE is projected to remain stable has already been converted to human use, limiting the size of the potential climate refuges and diminishing the adaptation potential of native biota. High conversion and low protection in projected stable areas make Australia the highest priority region for investment in climate-adaptation strategies to reduce the threat of climate change to the rich biodiversity of the mediterranean biome.

Evolutionary conditioning of response to changes in ionic composition of water in hydrobionts: An example of freshwater zooplankton

The situation in Karelian water bodies polluted with mining waste has been analyzed. As a result of technogenic wastewater discharge, the total ion content in lake waters has increased tens of times, and the concentration of potassium ions (the main component of wastewater), hundreds of times. Pollution tolerance of hydrobiont populations depends on the historically developed adaptation potential of species. The lowest tolerance to mineral pollution is characteristic of crustaceans representing mesolimnic families Polyphemidae, Sididae, Leptodoridae, Holopedidae, Diaptomidae, and Temoridae. Representatives of paleolimnic cristacean families Daphniidae, Bosminidae, and Cycopidae as well rotifer (Rotatoria) species of freshwater origin are highly tolerant of changes in the ionic composition of water.

Assessing the vulnerability of agricultural land use and species to climate change and the role of policy in facilitating adaptation

The term vulnerability has been used in a variety of contexts, including climate change impact assessment. In this paper those issues relevant to climate change impacts on agriculture and species are discussed. Outputs from models are used to assess the vulnerability of fanners and species to climate and socio-economic change by estimating their sensitivity and capacity to adapt to external factors as a means of identifying what causes the differences in their vulnerability. The results showed that the vulnerability of both farmers and species is dependent on the scenario under consideration. In agriculture, it is the socio-economic scenarios that particularly lead to different patterns of intensification, extensification and abandonment. For species, vulnerability is more related to the climate change scenarios. In both cases, the adaptation options and potential were associated with the different socio-economic futures and policy intervention. The conceptual linking of the two sectors shows that impacts in the agriculture sector and consequent adaptation could have a significant effect on the adaptation potential of species. This demonstrates the importance of cross-sectoral assessments of vulnerability and highlights the importance of sectoral integration in policy development and implementation. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Managing microevolution: restoration in the face of global change

Evidence is mounting that evolutionary change can occur rapidly and may be an important means by which species escape extinction in the face of global change. Consequently, biologists need to incorporate evolutionary thinking into management decisions in conservation and restoration ecology. Here, we review the genetic and demographic properties that influence the ability of populations to adapt to rapidly changing selective pressures. To illustrate how evolutionary thinking can influence conservation and restoration strategies, we compare the potential of two California plant communities (vernal pools and blue oak woodlands) to evolve in response to global change. We then suggest ways in which restoration biologists can manipulate the genetic architecture of target populations to increase their ability to adapt to changing conditions. While there may not be any universal rules regarding the adaptive potential of species, an understanding of the various processes involved in microevolution will increase t...